Mark Millanos - your saying your inital comment was "obviously not a negative comment" is ........ well, simply a silly veiled attempt at retraction.you could have said "well done Hal and Mike" but you chose a joke laced with innuendo that denigrated what they did.you are who you are, I'll move on.

Hal and Mike are great guys who deserve hearty congratulations for their accomplishment.

Hum, I believe my exact quote was "+1". Man I'm good - to have gotten all that in in just 2 characters! Seriously, it really wasn't there. It obviously wasn't there in the post I was referring to either. I don't think you understand what the expression "laced with innuendo" means, but the post in question certainly didn't contain any innuendo. You are just imagining things, but we are not asking for an apology from you for being nasty to us, so relax.

"Somewhere someone is doing something amazing, and not telling anyone."

+1. Some day I'd like to live just one day entirely without aspiration of any sort but still have it be full of amazing activity. Some days I feel like I get a good start, but I usually have it ruined by some plan or personal concern by 9 am. My life is already full of aspiration and accomplishing of goals. One of the reasons I like backpacking is because I find after 2 or 3 hours I sometime get into a state where my planning brain turns off for a while. I think you could get there "smelling the roses" or running for 3 days straight. I think it could easily happen doing nothing particularly special, and I also think that it absolutely would not matter what I was actually doing. I guess it is a bit of a catch 22 since if you really had such a day you would not actually notice it almost by definition.

Wow, the was way too mushy! Now I'm gonna have to turn in my man card.

Wow, simply awesome. That's like a back to back double Western States Trail Endurance run. And they DID I am sure "smell the roses" in their own style. These two men are wonderful examples of what the human body and mind can do and should be recognized for having the courage to go attempt such a thing. Celebrate it!

The driver going slower than you (and blocking your progress) is an moron. The one that goes faster (and passes you) is an idiot.

I'm cool with record-breaking attempts as long as non-participants aren't negatively effected.

I got yelled at by a ranger on my first Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (nothing fast, 19 hours) for, basically, not enjoying the scenery. My (unspoken) response was that doing 21,000 vertical feet in a day inside a stairwell would be a lot LESS scenic.

As to why anyone would support someone else's efforts? I enjoy helping others. I'm happy to see others push themselves. I'm pretty good at being a sherpa, camp chef, etc. The last one was housing Hig and Erin on their 800-mile trek with toddlers and arranging for air drops on the far side of Cook Inlet.

"Offer a Mercedes Benz as a prize, and some Kenyan or Ethiopian will do it in under 2 days."

Tom, oh wise one, you are absolutely spot on target. From a general marketing perspective, there is a constant search for something new & interesting that will capture the public's attention. Red Bull has really taken advantage of this trend, and sponsors all kinds of extreme athletes - big wave surfing is just one example.

If FKT exploits in beautiful mountain, desert, forest, ocean, etc settings happen to excite interest in the general public, then make way for internationally recognized elite athletes. The photo & video opportunities are obvious - add a 30 second clip seen by millions, and that represents huge exposure for whatever brand is being touted.

It may not be backpacking - ultralight or otherwise - but it appears that UL is the birthing space. If it takes off and generates more participants, then I would expect to see a dedicated site. Perhaps I can qualify for fastest known time to get into a wetsuit when the surf is firing? Nah, thousands are probably faster. LOL

That story about Anis is quite inspiring. How many people have hidden talents that aren't fully realized?

What's this obsession people have about "not telling anyone" all about?

Why does that make something better. I for one am glad that people share their experiences with others. Should we not have books or recorded history? Seems to me that sharing our experiences with others is more beneficial to society than not.